Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1976 (4. évfolyam, 9-12. szám)

1976 / 10. szám

somewhat difficult. However, he believes that certain statements can be made with more certainty, thus, e.g., the origin of the Hungarian runic script can be traced back to the Saltovo-Mayatsk culture. The book is divided into three major chapters. The first dealing with a general description of East Europe in the 9th and 19th centuries; the second with Hungarian tribes in the 9th century; and the third with the development to statehood and adaptation to the new environment in the Carpathian Basin.

Degh, Linda. PEOPLE IN THE TOBACCO BELT: FOUR LIVES. National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, Ont. Canada K1A 0M8, 1975. 277 pages, illustr., $5.50 paper. (No. 13, Canadian Centre for Folk Culture Studies.)

The life histories of four Hungarian immigrants of a tobacco farming area in southwest Ontario were recorded on tape by the author in 1972, and transcribed for this account. As far as theory is concerned, the material shows that life history is a viable folk prose genere in its own right. For the social historian, especially for one interested in Hungarian immigration history to the U.S. and Canada, generalizations on the complexities of adaptation are made possible in spite of the relatively small sample. The scene is Delhi, Ont., and the subjects, though chosen randomly, are representative of the career patterns of a large group. Since each subject was asked for the reasons of emigration, a glimps on the social, economic, and political conditions of the place of origin is made possible. The author adds descriptive, analytical, and interpretative comments for each life history, and tries to retain the mood, informality, and milieu of the interviews which took place in Hungarian. The author is Professor of Folklore at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana. Erdey-Grűz, Tiborand Kálmán Kulcsár (eds). SCIENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP IN HUNGARY. Budapest: Corvina, 1975.417 pages. $ n.a. cloth.

This is actually the second and extensively revised edition of SCIENCE IN HUNGARY (Corvina, 1965). The first of 22 chapters is devoted to the organization and policy of science, and was written by Erdey-Grúz, who is presently the President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. After a brief history of science policy, he describes the present policy which was formulated by the Hungarian Socialist Workers Party in 1969. It is projected that about 2.6% to 3.0% of the national income will be devoted to research and development in the 1970s. Emphasis is laid on the import of knowledge, especially from the West. About 80% of the research funds will be devoted to targeted and applied research, 20% to basic research. The author struggles with the discrimination between basic and applied research, emphasizing the researcher’s freedom vs. the imminent needs of the society. The needs are formulated by the Party, and must be in harmony with Marxist ideology. Utilization of knowledge is especially emphasized in the social sciences. “.. .it is essential to keep the social situation under continual scientific survey, in order to expose desirable and undesirable trends...” says Erdey-Grúz.

Priority areas are expressed in the National Long-Term Scientific Research Plan prepared in 1972 by the HAS and the National Technical Development Board. This plan comprises 17 areas of high priority which ought to be studied by various research institutes and reported on by the Science Political Committee. The plan envisages six areas of research and eleven projects. “One such concern is, for instance, research

BOOKS (Continued)

into biologically active substances, from which our pharmaceutical and plant-protection chemical industries, as well as the public health authorities are anticipating great results for their work; or research into the physics of solids, on the result of which our telecommunications and lighting engineering industries depend. Another of them is research into education and training, with the task of assisting in the modernization of educational institutions on different levels, their adaptation to rapidly changing social conditions, the training of qualified people able to think forthemselves, welleducated and flexible and adaptable in their approach to

knowledge......And among these principal lines of research

there is finally the investigation into means for the most efficient organization and operational methods of the socialist enterprise.”

The eleven research projects include such topics as “the most favourable type of development of the human macro and micro-environment, the modernization of telecommunication systems, the development of petrol chemistry for specific, concrete ends, or projects for increasing fertility of the soil, or the scientific foundation for increases in meat production.”

Other chapters and their authors are: Physics (Albert Kónya), Chemical Sc. (Pál Benedek, Ibolya Kardos), Earth Se. (József Fülöp), Bio-medical Se. (János Szentágothai), Veterinary Sc. (Janos Mocsy), Agriculture (István Tamassy), Mathematical Se. (László Gillemot, Frigyes Csáki), Economics (Kalman Szabó), Historical Se. (Erik Molnár, Zsigmond Pal Pach), Political and Legal Se. (Imre Szabó, Vilmos Peschka), Sociology (Kálmán Kulcsár), Linguistics (Lorand Benko, Gyula Nemeth), Ethnography and Folklore (Bela Gunda), Literature (Tibor Klaniczay), History of Art (Nóra Aradi), Musicology (Bencze Szabolcsi, József Ujfalussy), Ancient World (Janos Harmatta), Archaeology (László Gerevich), Oriental Studies (Karoly Czeglédy), Philosophy (László Mátrai, József Lukács).

Eszenyi, László. HÍVEN MINDHALÁLIG. Az Amerikai Függetlenségi Háború Mapyar Hősének, Fabricy Kova'ts Mihály Huszárezredesnek Élete és HÓ'si Halála. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH. The life and heroic death of Michael Kováts de Fabricy, Colonel of the Cavalry and hero of the American War of Independence. (A bilingual edition). Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N.W., Washington, D C. 20016,1975. 72+ 75+ xvi pages, map, illust., $5.00.

This is a brief biography of a Hungarian cavalry officer whose name plays prominently in the history of the United States. Born in the Great Plain of Hungary of Jasz-Cumenian background in 1724. Kováts entered military service at the age of 20 and remained a soldier all through his life. When he was discharged from the Hungarian hussars, he joined the forces of Frederick the Great and became a Captain in his First Hussar Regiment. He returned to Hungary in 1761, married, and after 15 years of various undertakings arrived in America in 1777. He joined Casimir Pulaski, whom he had known from Europe, and eventually became Colonel- Commandant of the Pulaski Legion. He died in the battle of Charleston, S.C. on October 9, 1779. The author tries to emphasize that the battle of Charleston was a temporary setback for the British forces, determined the future of the southern colonies and influenced favorably the outcome of the Revolutionary War. The book can be obtained from the author c/o above address.

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NO. 10, 1976, HUNGARIAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER

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